Has anyone ever gotten custom length valve springs and from who? I am working on a 1929 Graham Paige and have just found the #1 exhaust valve broke the top inch off its spring. Now I need to find a replacement. It is the same inside and outside diameter as a SBC but is roughly an inch taller.
I looked on their site and couldn't find anything "custom". Ive been in contact with Performance Springs Inc. and they are going to send me a sample to see if it will work. They actually stock one that seems like it will fit the bill.
I wonder if you machined up some spacers if you could run off the shelf springs without any coil bind? I doubt your engine has more lift than a performance sbc? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Now that is thinking outside the box. It certainly would be easier to just order a generic spring and there are plenty available. Maybe the OP can post a photo of the assembly. .
You would need much more input to come up with a possible replacement!! The number of coils, the "thickness" of each coil (wire-width), and the installed height/pressure. You can get this number from one of the remaining good springs. Thanks, Gary in N.Y. P.S. Your best bet may be to contact Associated Spring. They are linked to Pioneer/Barnes group. I can get a number, but not tonight, probably not till Monday.
I have contacted associated spring and still waiting for a response. I have all the precise measurements at the shop other than the spring pressure. My father is a machinist and he came by and we figured out all the measurements needed to make a spacer and run a stock SBC spring. The SBC spring is a little bit stronger and the original setup does not have enough lift to cause a problem.
might try pac....they'll make anything you need..... you need to know installed height and what it takes to coil bind it. od on spring and id on spring. and what closed pressure is and what pressure is open . might be able to adapt something from a later motor...
I have the "custom valve request form" from PAC sitting right next to me. The problem I have is I don't know what the pressures would be.
Any decent machine shop, especially one dealing with circle track cars, will have a valve spring tester and can check the remaining springs and determine an average. .
No reason to even think about custom springs. It's 99.9% certain there will be something else close enough. We do this all the time with obsolete engines. The major aftermarket manufacturers all used to have specification sections in their printed catalogs. For instance, I have an old PEP book which shows OD/ID/length and pressure. Either find a shop with an old catalog or get someone with a current account with the majors to teach you how to research the on-line catalogs. Another FWIW; the valve doesn't care how long the spring is, just how much pressure it exerts. On an old one-lunger poppin' johnny pump engine, I made an aluminum spacer to make up the extra length between the spring we had and the retainer. jack vines
I talked with a guy from the left coast who replaced one in his engine. He said he found it in a spare parts bin at his local speed shop so apparently they were in larger production than just for the 1929 Graham Paige straight 6.
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